Why We Love McKinney, Texas
When you hear about events like Coffee with the Mayor, you have to imagine old fashioned, down home communities where people smile at each other on the street.

Living the Life
It's the home of Oktoberfest, an annual event that takes place in the city's historic downtown. The city hosts great eats like the Louisiana St. Grill Wood Fired Steaks & Seafood restaurant, as well as the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary and the Town Lake Recreation Area, and other recreational sites that embrace the region's open spaces. Beer lovers will appreciate being close to some of the state's best breweries, while admirers of the vino can get that famous Texas hospitality at places like the Long Star Wine Cellars. This town is golf courses, the Heard-Craig Center for the Arts, balloon rides, game and entertainment centers, shows, music, shopping and dining, and walking past beautiful bushels of colorful flowers on public, cobble stoned streets under a Texas sky. There is no other place like this in the country.

This is also a town that's technologically savvy, using the Internet to stream vital information to its residents, including community news, council meetings, and program and event announcements. Yet, when you're walking down its streets, you'll almost believe you stepped back a few decades in time as you are entranced by gorgeous trees and buildings that don't obscure a beautiful sky.

A Brief History

The city has a diverse and rich history that continues to be shaped by its current residents. From museums and the arts to historic architecture and monuments, the people who live here put a lot of energy into building our history so that future generations have proud stories to record and events to celebrate.

Back in the mid-1800s, settlers on oxen and horse pulled wagons came here to start a new life. Most were induced by colonizers hired to convince people to migrate. Many made the trip for incentives that included a gun, a newly built cabin and up to 640 acres of land.

While some found the hardened frontier a bit much, many stayed, setting up communities, farms and commerce. In 1872, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad came to town, stimulating development and growth. The region soon became a hub for wheat, corn and oats. Growth led to larger business, a better infrastructure and larger homes, many of which still stand today. By 1885, there were thousands of citizens, newspapers, a courthouse, flour mills, banks, churches and an opera house.

Today, we're still considering our future and continued growth. Fortunately, the past has helped us develop a thriving economy, a superior way of life, and citizenship and leadership that's dedicated to celebrating the roots that helped pave new paths.

The Town Today

Not far from the metropolitan Dallas-Ft. Worth area, we're by far not a cosmopolitan city on sight. You can see the gently rolling hills from most of the streets. From its quaint neighborhoods and friendly residents, from downtown festivals to a strong belief in education, this is a town that embodies community, that spearheads innovation, participation and creativity. It's a business friendly town that's seen dynamic growth over the last ten years, including international aerospace and defense company Raytheon bringing over 3,500 new jobs to town. We've also seen new companies involved in aviation, medical services and energy.

As a town always looking to the future, college prep and career are a huge focus. While computers have become a part of even the youngest child's life, our students begin a formal, educational connection with them in grade school, using wired smart-boards. All high school freshmen are provided with a MacBook for academic purposes. Advanced placement courses begin with middle and high schoolers having internship opportunities that cross a broad array of industries in the area.

Many residents love spending an afternoon or evening downtown. It's considered a historic setting with its art galleries and specialty shops. There are elegant restaurants that were obviously farms at one point. It's East Coast, West Coast and European all meshed with a country charm coating, and you're going to spend a lot less here than in Dallas. The Cinemark has 14 screens featuring the top movies, as well as games the whole family can enjoy. You can engage in painting classes or take the family to Storybook Ranch for riding lessons and pony parties.

We like to think we have one of the easiest jobs in the world. And that's convincing people this Texas city is a great place to live. In 2014, Money named the town the country's number one best place to live. And we've only given you a hint as to why. From restored Victorian homes to classic Texas mansions, this town is flush with properties where you can raise a family and happily share a community.

The real estate office of Shirley Davis loves everything about this town. We've been a part of this community for many years and really can't see ourselves anywhere else. This weekend, we may hit the Native Texas Butterfly House & Garden or grab some Crispy Stuffed Shrimp at Rick's Chophouse, but come the new week, we'll be back at our desks answering phones and keeping abreast of what properties are on the market and how to best connect them with people looking to start a new life in a great town like this one.

If you love your big city life, good for you. But if you're looking for a nice change of pace, a community built on pride and history, a place where every stranger smiles and says hello, and you're looking for a great home in Texas, give us a holla! Call, come by the office or browse the site. We'll show you why everyone here loves McKinney and why you're going to want to be a part of its future.